The Ministry of Basic Education (Minedub) is expected to distribute more than 73,000 textbooks to public elementary schools this week. Some 65,190 books on citizenship and moral education will be distributed to Francophone schools, while those in the Anglophone system will receive 7,816. This operation aims in particular to strengthen civic values among schoolchildren, according to the minister.

"With the political and security crises in the country, it is important to teach the youngest civic values so that they can cherish and protect the nation through their patriotism," said Minister Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa Etoundi, in comments reported in the public media.

"Education in citizenship and morality is necessary. When we train students at school, they should have rules that are repeated to them all the time. Let's not forget that they are young children. We should tell them what is important for the country, how to respect the institutions, how to see what is being done in the country… This is very important to fully train a citizen," he said.

These books complement the more than 4 million textbooks distributed last year to the 13,000 public elementary schools across the territory. This operation, which is scheduled to continue until 2023, is part of the Cameroon Education Reform Support Project (Parec) financed by the World Bank.

P.N.N.